Dr. Juliann Sebastian Elected as Chair of the AACN Board of Directors

Dr. Juliann Sebastian from the University of Nebraska Medical Center 
Elected as Chair of the AACN Board of Directors 

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 21, 2016 – The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is pleased to announce that Juliann G. Sebastian, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean and professor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, was elected Chair of the AACN Board of Directors. Dr. Sebastian began her two-year term as the association's highest elected official at the close of AACN's 2016 Spring Business Meeting held earlier today in Washington, D.C. 
  
"As the voice for academic nursing, AACN is committed to using collaboration, innovation, and strategic action to improve both health and health care," said Dr. Sebastian.  "I believe that AACN is extremely well-positioned to expand its impact as a catalyst for excellence and innovation, and I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the organization during this pivotal point in its history." 
  
Dr. Sebastian has served in her current role at the University of Nebraska Medical Center since 2011. Prior to this appointment, she was dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (2006-2011) and held several leadership positions at the University of Kentucky (UK), including assistant dean for advanced practice nursing and co-director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. Dr. Sebastian earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from the UK College of Nursing and her doctorate in business administration from UK's College of Business and Economics. 
  
Her areas of expertise include the organization of care delivery systems (particularly care for underserved populations), academic nursing practice and nurse-managed centers, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program curricula. She has presented widely at national and international conferences on these topics and has had numerous papers, book chapters, abstracts, and three books related to community nursing published. 

Dr. Sebastian's long-time service on the AACN Board includes the role of chairing the Task Force on the Master's Essential Tool Kit, serving as the Board's liaison to the Task Force on the Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing, and serving as a member of the Task Force on the Essentials of Nursing Education for the Doctor of Nursing Practice. 
  
In addition to her AACN service, Dr. Sebastian was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1999. She served as vice president of Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing, from 1995-1997 and as Board Chair of its foundation from 1997-2001. She was selected to be in the inaugural cohort (1998-2001) of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's prestigious Executive Nurse Fellowship program where she focused her fellowship work on academic nursing practice and systems change. She currently serves as Chair of the Board for the Global Alliance for Leadership in Nursing Education and Scholarship (GANES). 
  
"As AACN Board Chair, I am looking forward to fostering a culture of collaboration with our colleagues in practice, policy, and the other health professions to better position academic nursing to address the challenges we face in ensuring quality and safety, promoting excellence in care delivery, ensuring access and cost-effectiveness, and improving care outcomes," added Dr. Sebastian. 
  
Joining Dr. Sebastian on the AACN Board of Directors are these continuing and new members: Chair-Elect Ann Cary from the University of Missouri-Kansas City; Treasurer Teri Murray from Saint Louis University; Secretary Judy Beal from Simmons College; Susan Bakewell-Sachs from Oregon Health and Science University; Greer Glazer from the University of Cincinnati; Anita Hufft from Texas Woman's University;Cynthia McCurren from Grand Valley State University; Lepaine Sharp-McHenry from Oklahoma Baptist University; Kristen Swanson from the Seattle University; and David Vlahov from the University of California, San Francisco.